Washington Gas

Perhaps the easiest, cheapest, and most overlooked way to save energy when building a home is to ensure that it is oriented on the land for maximum benefit. Many builders and architects fail to incorporate intelligent site orientation in their plans, so you should insist on it if you're having a house built. You can have an energy analysis done, for example, that will show how to position the house to gain the most value from passive solar heat in winter and passive cooling in summer. Just doing that one thing will provide sustainable energy conversation for the lifetime of the building.

Another way to create passive cooling is to landscape with shade trees that are ideally situated. Install energy efficient windows, too, because these will consistently block the transfer of heat - reducing cooling bills in summer and minimizing heating bills all winter.

Choose energy-saving home systems, too, like Energy Star rated appliances, water-saving faucets and showerheads, and on-demand water heaters. Power the house with natural gas, for example, to get a cleaner and more efficient form of fuel that will save you money in a sustainable manner while also helping to reduce your home's carbon footprint.

Added insulation can be a great step toward increased energy savings, because proper insulation will keep your home more comfortable in winter while conserving heat and it will similarly make it more affordable to cool your home in summer by keeping the cool air inside. Insulation can be achieved in a number of ways, including using special insulated panels made from concrete or other materials.

But one of the simplest ways to create more insulation value is to employ so-called Optimum Value Engineering methods. These include smart strategies for framing the house or creating its skeleton. The result is more insulation per square foot and greater attention to fully insulating corners and other tight spots in the design that are normally neglected by conventional framers or builders.

You can also use a geothermal heat pump, which basically transfers the natural heat of the earth that is below the surface of the ground and pipes it into your home while using a relatively small amount of power. Geothermal energy can be used in tandem with radiant flooring systems or connected to your hot water supply to reduce energy consumption by substantial amount.